Assistant Professor (PI, 博士生导师), Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo
Adjunct Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore
兼职博导, 上海交通大学
Associate Editor, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Associate Editor, IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine
Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering
Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems
I am an Assistant Professor at the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo. I also hold an Adjunct Assistant Professor position at the National University of Singapore (NUS). My research interests focus on the intersection of control, machine learning, and robotics, particularly in learning-based robot control and manipulation.
I completed both my B.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NUS. Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), Harvard University, and a Scientist at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore.
I direct the Robot Learning and Control Lab at EIT. We are currently focusing on advancing contact-rich manipulation, by leveraging multimodal force and tactile sensing along with learning-based methods such as reinforcement learning to achieve more dexterous, adaptive, and safe interactions. Email: xiaocongli@eitech.edu.cn.
The Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo (EIT), is a newly established, research-focused private university located in the vibrant coastal city of Ningbo, China. It is funded by the largest private donation in the history of Chinese higher education from the Yu Education Foundation and supported by the governments of Zhejiang Province and Ningbo City. EIT is committed to advancing social progress through outstanding education, pioneering research, and a vibrant culture of innovation. A total of 39 out of 95 faculty members (41%) from EIT have been recognized among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University and Elsevier.
宁波东方理工大学是一所小而精、高起点、研究型、国际化的新型研究型大学，创校校长为中国科学院院士、前北京大学副校长、前南方科技大学校长陈十一。学校以成为世界一流学术机构和国家战略学科引领者为目标，倡导平等、开放、自由的学术氛围，专注引领变革性研究。东方理工目前拥有14位中外院士和95位PI，其中39位PI入选斯坦福大学与爱思唯尔发布的全球前2%顶尖科学家榜单，占比41%。
Dec 2025: I will serve as an Associate Editor for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L).
Oct 2025: I am excited to be back at NUS to teach EE5110/EE6110 and EE5062 again as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at ECE.
Oct 2025: We successfully organized the workshop on Data-Enabled Learning and Control for Robotics at IROS 2025. Our goal is to promote deeper cross-disciplinary exchange and integration between the robot control and robot learning communities.
Sep 2025: I am honored to be appointed as PhD Supervisor (兼职博导) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (上海交通大学).
Aug 2025: I will serve as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems.
Aug 2025: I am appointed Associate Editor for 2026 American Control Conference (ACC).
Aug 2025: I will serve on the IEEE CSS Conference Editorial Board.
June 2025: Our Workshop on Data-Enabled Learning and Control for Robotics has been accepted at IROS 2025.
May 2025: Our Workshop on Data-Enabled Learning Control for Intelligent Mechatronics and Robotics has been accepted at AIM 2025.
Feb 2025: We are organizing a Special Issue on Safety, Robustness, and Effectiveness in Human-Machine Teaming in IEEE Control Systems Letters (L-CSS), where I serve as a Guest Associate Editor. Submission deadline: May 21, 2025.
Jan 2025: I started my appointment as Associate Editor for IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications (CCTA).
Nov 2024: I co-organized and co-chaired a special session at the IEEE Region 10 Conference 2024 (TENCON 2024).
Oct 2024: I chaired the session on "Control Technologies and Solutions for Sustainable Energy Systems" at IEEE Control System Society CSS Day.
Sep 2024: Our special issue on Advanced Planning and Control in E-Mobility in Control Engineering Practice is launched, where I serve as the Executive Guest Editor. Submission deadline: April 30, 2025.
Sep 2024: I received the inaugural STAR Mentor Award as the sole awardee of SIMTech, A*STAR.
Sep 2024: Our paper received Best Paper Award Finalist at the 16th International Conference on Social Robotics.
Aug 2024: I started my appointment as Adjunct Assistant Professor at ECE, NUS. I will be teaching EE5110/EE6110 and EE5062, as well as supervising grant-supported PhD students and postdocs. Looking forward to contributing back to my alma mater!
Aug 2024: I renewed my Associate appointment with Harvard University. Looking forward to continued academic exchange and collaboration!
July 2024: I organized a Workshop at 2024 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM 2024), Boston.
July 2024: I gave a talk at the Harvard Biorobotics Lab, covering our latest work on nanopositioning control, construction robotics, and e-mobility.
Apr 2024: I started my appointment as Chair of the Planning Committee for the Technical Committee on Manufacturing Automation and Robotics Control (TC-MARC), IEEE Control Systems Society
Nov 2023: I was invited to deliver a talk titled “Making Sense of Motion Data in Mechatronic and Robotic Systems: A Data-Driven Control Approach” at MATLAB Day Singapore 2023
Sep 2023: We hosted a visit by Minister (National Development) Desmond Lee to our construction robotics research project
Jan 2023: We hosted a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat to our construction robotics research project (Intelligent Lifting Frame) funded by National Research Foundation (NRF), Singapore
Jan 2023: Our 10+ million Singapore dollar IAF-PP project on E-Mobility funded by National Research Foundation (NRF) has officially started, and I am serving as a Co-PI.
